FBI agents ‘ watch porn at work’

London: Agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is supposed to be the nation’s elite police force, are now being disciplined for serious breaches of misconduct, secret files have revealed.

Agents have been found guilty of inappropriate behaviour, including one agent who had a sexual relationship with a source, while another, who used FBI databases to get personal details about celebrities he thought were ‘hot’.

Not just that, the FBI could be criticised for failure to suspend agents who have committed serious offences.

Among the toughest punishments was for the agent who had the seven-month sexual relationship with a source. He was suspended for 40 days.

In another case a supervisor who viewed pornography in his office during work hours, while ``sexually satisfying himself`` (so the file states) got a 35-day suspension.

“Demonstrable incorrect conduct or criminal conduct is not acceptable and never should be,” a daily quoted President of the FBI Agents’ Association Konrad Motyka, as saying.

About not firing agents, FBI Assistant Director Candice Will, said that 500 cases of misconduct were referred to her each year out of which 350 were disciplined, including 30 who were fired.

The FBI employs 34,300 people, including 13,700 agents.

“We do have a no-tolerance policy. We don’t tolerate our employees engaging in misconduct. We expect them to behave pursuant to the standards of conduct imposed on all FBI employees. It doesn’t mean that we fire everybody,” Will said.

“You know, our employees are human, as we all are. We all make mistakes. So, our discipline is intended to reflect that. We understand that employees can make mistakes, will make mistakes. When appropriate, we will decide to remove an employee. [When we believe that an employee can be rehabilitated and should be given a second chance, we do that.”